Health agreement: Why follow suit with the UK instead of attracting more tourists?

Saturday 25th April 2009, 2:59PM BST.

From A Sowman.
WOW! I really did put the cat among the pigeons, didn’t I. Even Helier Clement (JEP, 14 April) got up early to read his paper.

Everyone will, I hope, realise that I did know that it was the penny-pinching UK government that started it all off with the ending of the health agreement. What a day to choose – April Fool’s Day.

We UK travellers are well used to this government’s spring tactics of endeavouring to keep everyone’s holiday money in-house, so to speak.

It happens every year about this time, usually in the form of some sort of extra tax, and this time, I’m sorry to say, it’s was Jersey’s turn.

The point I tried to make was that in the light of falling tourism figures to the Channel Islands, why follow suit? OK, I can appreciate why in the short term, but will the resulting drop in tourism once again be worth it?

Not many of Helier’s 50 million were visitors to Jersey in 2008 and I’m guessing it will be even fewer in 2009.
8 Millcroft,
Fulwood, Preston,
Lancs.

1
Adrian

April 25, 2009 at 10:39 pm

Is this a good way to encourage tourism? No way. Why bother coming to Jersey when it is very expensive and a building site especially in the town area? What about things to do on a rainy day?

I myself would have kept the recipricol health agreement going, surely not taking the £3.9M from the UK would have given them an incentive to carry on? If not why couldn’t they have come to an arangement even if it had cost Jersey £1-2M per year to maintain it?

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2
Leah Holmes

April 27, 2009 at 2:26 pm

Adrian, given a rainy day people need to stop being so pathetic and just put on a raincoat (waterproof trousers if need be) and get out there. I can’t understand people who let their holiday be ruined by a bit of rain.

I can’t think of anywhere I’ve been on holiday that it hasn’t rained at least one of the days. And if these are UK tourists surely they are used to going out in the rain, otherwise they must spend a lot of time at home.

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3
Adrian

April 27, 2009 at 6:10 pm

Leah rain doesn’t bother me but unfortunately most now prefer a holiday in the sun where they can do things. Walking around on a cold rainy day isn’t most peoples’ idea of a holiday. I believe a few more indoor activities to cater for these types would encourage them to come here thats all.

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4
joker

May 1, 2009 at 9:59 am

Adrian

What sort of indoor activities do you think we should have?

There’s a great myth that there is less to do here than there was 20 years ago.

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